Journal-lubricator.



No. 628,921. Patented July I8, [899. E. B. BROWN.

JOURNAL LUBRICATOR.

' (Application filed Sept. 19, 1898.)

No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EGBERT B. BROWN, OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS JOURNAL-LUBRICATOR.

SPEUIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 628,921, dated July 18, 1899. Application filed September 19,1893. Serial No. 691,393. (No model.)

.to provide an improved lubricating device r as involving no part ofmy invention, being entirely detached from the journal bearing or box and designed and adapted for marketing as a complete article of manufacture ready tojbe inserted in any ordinary car-axle box without requiring any alteration or modification of either the lubricator or the box.

Tothis end the invention consists in the matters hereinafterset forth, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and will be fully understood from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, illustrative thereof, and in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of an ordinary car-axle box, showing a lubricating device constructed in accordance with myinvention inserted in operative position therein. Fig. 2 isa transverse sectional elevation taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the lubricator with its capillary feeders and lining omitted. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the frame. Fig. 5 is a top plan view thereof.

In said drawings, J designates the car-axle journal, and J the box within which said journal has its bearing. As herein shown, this box is of the usual rectangular shape in cross-section, containing in its upper portion the bearing-brass j, against which the journal rotates and above which the usual wedge j is inserted. The box is shown as recessed at 7' at its inner end to contain the usual dust-guard j and the outer end of the box is provided with a hinged door 7 through which access is had to the interior of the box. These features, however, will be understood referred to merely for the purpose of rendering the construction clear and being subject to wide variations without in any Way affecting the construction or operation of the lubricator, to which this relates. v t j v My improved lubricator comprises, essentially, a supporting-framework A, by means of which a hollowing or trough-shaped openspecification particularly work basket B is resiliently suspended beneath the journal J in such manner that when said basket is lined with a fibrous or capillary material, that also depends through the openbasket into the oil in the lower part of the box, the journal will be constantly and perfectly lubricated by the oil which feeds up by capillary attraction to the lining, which will yieldingly be held in contact with the journal. The framework A is of such shape that it can be inserted and removed through.

the doorj of the box; and to this end it 0on sists in this instance of wire bent so as to provide a horizontal reacha, extending along at .eachside of the journal parallel thereto and slightly above or adjacent to the level of the axis of the journal. Thesehorizontal reaches are supported at each end by vertical stand ards a, which are in turn connected at their lower ends by horizontal bars (1 that rest upon the bottom of the box. In other words, the shape of the framework is herein shown as such that in end view it presents the shape of an upwardly-open U the connecting crossbar a of which rests on the bottom of the box, while in side view its shape is that of a downwardly-open or inverted U, the connecting portion of which is the horizontal reach a adjacent to the side of the journal. The basket B is supported from the frame Work thus constructed by a plurality (in this instance four) of tension-springs D, the lower ends of which are hooked into marginal aper stance 'suitable for the purpose.

ter may vary widely in diameter in the different boxes to which the lubricator may be applied. To this end it may conveniently consist of thin sheet metal or of any other sub- As indicated by the term basket, it is more or less apertured or of open-work and in this instance is shown as provided with a number of longitudinal slots b The basket is lined with a layer or surface of fibrous or oil-conducting material, as indicatedat L in'Fig. 2, and from this lining wicks Z depend through the apertures Win the basket into the bottom of the box. These wicks will obviously serve to conduct the oil upward to the lining L by their capillary action just as long as any oil remains in the box, and as the basket is drawn yieldingly upward at all times by the springs D,.and as the flexibility of the basket results in its conforming perfectly to the lower surface of the journal, the latter will be perfectly lubricated throughout the entire period. In fact, the lubrication resulting so long as any oilremains in the box will be as perfect as though a freshly-oiled pad were held in constant contact with the journal by the hand, the flexible basket with its lining forming a perfect annulus lightly pressed at all times against the lower pa-rtof the journal and continuouslysulpplied with oil through the wick- .ing which depends into the oil-chamber beneath. As much oil will be supplied to the box ordinarily as can be contained therein without escaping through the aperture out of which the car-axle passes at the inner end of thebox.

In practice the lubricator will be made up complete, with the basket connected to its suspporting-framework and with the lining and wicks in position thereon. It may then be'inserted in any ordinary journal-box, such as that shown in the drawings, by simply tipping it up at an angle, so as to enable the front lower cross-bar a to be inserted and pushed forward beneath the journal until the lower rear cross-bar is lifted over the lower edge of the door-opening of the box, after which the frame is dropped into its normal horizontal position,as herein shown, the hasket in the meantime beingforced down against the tension of its springs, so that it will pass,

that the device is equally applicable to any v other form or situation of journal-box to which it maybe found adapted. It will also be understood that the device may be widely varied in its details of construction without involving any departure from the broad invention contained therein.

I claim as my invention 1. A journal-lubricator comprising a supporting frame, a trough shaped basket, springs depending from-the upper members of the frame and engaging the edges of the basket, a-fibrous lining forthe basket, and oil conducting wicks depending from said linin 2. A journal-lubricator comprising a resilient flexible basket disconnected from the bearing, supports arranged on opposite sides of the journal, means resiliently suspending the basket by its said edges from lateral supports, a fibrous lining in said basket, and oilconducting wicks depending from said lining.

A journ'al-lubricator comprising a flexible trough-shaped basket made from sheet metal and disconnected from the bearing,

springs engaging the lateral edges of said basket and resiliently suspendingit, lateral supports for said springs on opposite sides of the journal, a fibrous lining in said basket and oil-conducti ng wicks depending from said lining. 4 r

4. A jou rnal-lubricator comprising a framework removably inserted in thejournal-box and having lateral members on'opposite sides ofth'e journal, a trough-shaped basket, tension-springs engaging the lateral edges of the basket and rcsilien tly suspendingit from said lateral members, a fibrous lining in said has ket and oil-00nd uct-ing wicks depending from said lining. v

5. A journal-lubricator comprising a double loop-shaped frame having upper horizontal reaches, lower transverse reaches, and vertical corner-standards connecting said reaches, a trough-shaped metallic basket, tension-springs resiliently suspending said metallic basket by its edges from theupper horizontal reaches of said frame, a fibrous lining or mat in said basket and oil-conducting wicks depending from said lining.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aiflx my signature, in presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of September, A. l). 1898. I 7

' E. B. BROWVN. Witnesses:

HENRY W. CARTER, ALBERT H. GRAVES. 

